Woven in Malice
By @john1208
I was sprinting across the aqueducts of Olaria, chasing a thief, when I collided with Thiago Montoya - my most infuriating rival. I’ve always played by the rules: keep your head down, weave your magic, and never let emotion stain your craft. I thought to reach the pinnacle of the Loom, I had to stand alone. But when Thiago’s fragile childhood sweetheart, Beatriz, accidentally-on-purpose spills acid on my Grand Gala dress, everything changes. Beatriz claims she only sees Thiago as a brother and expects him to coddle her while I am banished in disgrace. Instead, my arrogant rival and I lock eyes, instantly recognizing her pathetic act. Thiago ruthlessly leverages his family’s monopoly to isolate Beatriz from every guild in the city, while I prepare the ultimate humiliation: broadcasting a hidden scrying-crystal recording of her maliciously slashing my dress to the entire nobility. We might be rivals, but we despise a fraud even more. Yet, as our fake truce turns into a slow-burn romance, I realize I misunderstood the rules of magic all along: true power isn't forged in isolation. Will our venomous partnership unravel, or will it bind us forever?
5
